I’ve noticed that families start dropping SACC in 4th grade and letting the kids come home on the bus or walking by themselves, especially if an only child or they have an older sibling at home. I work part time and am at home when school gets out (we are walkers). My 4th grader unpacks his backpack, gets a snack or finishes his packed lunch, does homework, and then usually goes to play outside or starts calling his friends on Messenger Kids to see who wants to play a video game or Minecraft. After dinner he practices his instrument. Depending what he has going on in terms of activities we might have to eat dinner early so he can get to a practice or activity.

Anonymous wrote:Sports! Because that’s what boys are supposed to do.

Or they could just olay after school. That's what kids are supposed to do.

Sports! Because that’s what boys are supposed to do.

Anonymous wrote:Lots of sports, ECs, academic enrichment and learning life skills. I am available from school pickup to all activities. DH handles the dinner, shower, getting ready for bed routine.

That’s ridiculous. You just drive?

My boys are teens now but they played sports after school. One kid played tennis and soccer. Other kid played soccer and basketball.

My younger son used to play both travel soccer and basketball and played year round. He is now on the high school basketball team. Other kid plays tennis. They both dropped soccer after I spent every weekend at their games all throughout elementary school.

My 5th grader comes home on his own, gets home around 415 and a parent arrives around 500, unless one of us is already working from home. He is not allowed to go outside if one of us isn't home so on those days he chills and has a snack but as soon as we get home we send him outside. He bikes or kicks a ball around. There are sometimes neighbors out.

Two nights a week he has evening activities so we go straight there.

Occasionally like twice a month he will bring a friend home from school with him (on days a parent will be home).

Violin, swimming, robotics class once a week but they are usually at 7 or so

Play after school on playground with friends for about an hour
Early supper and Netflix time -hour
homework and chores (clean and vacuum dining room or play room) - hour
Shower and snack then Lego/read/draw from 7-9 if no activity day

Had to take away Minecraft too many anger/obsession issues for our kiddo

Anonymous wrote:So are parents who work mostly stuck with formal after care? What age does that change?

Being a parent = Stuck for life

My son gets out of school at 4 and comes home, has a snack and then chills for a bit before activities at 6 or so.

Lots of sports, ECs, academic enrichment and learning life skills. I am available from school pickup to all activities. DH handles the dinner, shower, getting ready for bed routine.

Anonymous wrote:So are parents who work mostly stuck with formal after care? What age does that change?

The age at which you're willing to let them come and be home alone or the age at which you can find someone to take care of them informally.

So are parents who work mostly stuck with formal after care? What age does that change?

I'm not sure if the experience of people with daughters is totally irrelevant, but I shifted my work schedule so I could be home once she started disliking aftercare.

She comes home, gets a snack, does her homework, practices her instrument and then reads. A couple days a week she has an activity, but that was true when she was at aftercare too.

Sports and activities, for a lot of them.

My DS has been in after care up until now but I am noticing that there are fewer older kids in the program starting around third grade. What are your older ES boys doing after school most days? Are parents still picking them up most days? Do they have activities or are they home alone now that they are older? Unfortunately we don’t have any immediate friends on our street so he doesn’t really have that option.